Murfreesboro

History

The first recorded inhabitants of the area were Native Americans from the Nottoway, Meherrin and Chowanoke tribes. The first European known to visit the area was John White of the Roanoke Colony in the 16th century. It was also visited by an expedition from Jamestown, Virginia, in the 17th century. The first known deed to property in the area is a land grant dated November 5, 1714, made to Henry Wheeler for a tract on the Meherrin River which included what is now Murfreesboro. Several other transactions quickly followed, and in 1735 Joseph Parker founded the Meherrin Church. It is the second-oldest Baptist church in North Carolina This act also provided for the establishment of a public dock, as the town was located at the northernmost point of navigation on the Meherrin River. In 1831 Murfreesboro was among towns that sent armed forces (these were led by Captain Solon Borland) to Southampton County, Virginia, to quell Nat Turner's slave rebellion. As a result of these events, Virginia and North Carolina reduced the rights of free blacks, prohibiting education of both free blacks and slaves.

Geography

Murfreesboro is located in northwestern Hertford County on high ground south of the Meherrin River. U.S. Route 258 runs through the eastern end of the town, and U.S. Route 158 bypasses the town to the south. US-258 leads southwest to Tarboro and northeast to Franklin, Virginia, while US-158 leads east to Winton, the Hertford county seat, and west to Roanoke Rapids. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and , or 2.27%, are water.

Race & ethnicity